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COURSE CARE

March Roars In!
February 27, 2015

March Roars In!

By David A. Oatis, Director
March 17, 2009

Plenty of snow, extended and periodic ice cover, and plenty
of cold temperatures characterize the winter weather that has
been experienced in many areas of the Northeast Region. It was
certainly good for skiers, but the weather has caused some turf
injury on golf courses. Several courses in the New York
metropolitan area now are reporting localized cases of
suffocation and crown hydration injury, and while the damage
does not yet appear to be extensive, it will necessitate some
courses keeping greens closed for a while this spring. Damage
is likely to be more extensive in northern parts of the region
where an ice layer has been in place since early winter.
Reports of damage also are coming in from southern Canada. If
you have any doubt as to whether your turf sustained injury, be
sure to bring cores in and incubate them so you can gauge the
extent of the damage.

Listed below are links to articles on promoting rapid
recovery from winter injury. However, the first step in
fostering a rapid recovery is to keep the affected greens
closed for a few weeks in the spring. Impatient golfers often
are reluctant to close greens, but failure to do so retards the
recovery process. It also guarantees a weaker recovery as more
annual bluegrass will be reestablished rather than the more
desirable creeping bentgrass. A little patience now will pay
big dividends later in the season.

With the conclusion of last week's New England Regional Turf
Conference, the conference season is drawing to a close.
However, there are still some educational sessions to attend,
most notably, the USGA/MGA Green Chairman Seminar on March 19
at Hackensack Golf Club. Call the MGA headquarters at
914-347-4653 to register for this conference. Topics to be
discussed include:

Environmentally Friendly Ways to Cut Costs AND "Go
Green"

Changes at Bethpage and Changes in USGA Championship
Philosophies

Changing Priorities and Evaluating the Numbers: What is
Really Important?

Green Committee 101: Helping courses stay on track in a
tough economy

Tri-State Research Update

Remember, the USGA is offering a substantial $500 discount
on Turf Advisory Service visits if payment is received by May
15, 2009. The visit can be scheduled at any time during the
growing season, but payment must be received by the
deadline.

As always, best of luck for a successful season and please
do not hesitate to call our office if we can be of
assistance.